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January 27, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR ANGELA SKAGGS
IN KY
Erin,
There are plenty of careers in the medical field. Physical
Therapist,
X-Ray Technician, Nursing, Dental Hygienist, and Athletic
Trainer are
just a few; the list goes on and on. Even in those areas you
have
subdivisions depending on your interest. Nursing alone offers
several
other specializations. Medicine is one area I try to encourage
students
to research more. That is my advice to you also. If you research
medical careers you will be surprised by the number of jobs
that are
available. The popularity of jobs is like most other jobs,
it usually
depends on the number of people and the economics for that
area.
However, even in the most rural areas you will always need
some type of
medical service. My advice to you again is to get on the internet
and
research medical careers. Good Luck!!
********************
A: FROM MENTOR MAMIE MOY IN
TX
There are innumerable jobs in the health care area. Many of
these
are in very high demand. There is a critical shortage in the
nursing
field. Some of the jobs related to medicine include medical
technologists, computer trainers, physical therapists, physicians
assistants, inhalation therapists, x-ray technologists, and
administrative/executive personnel with knowledge of the medical
field.
I would suggest looking into job postings in your area. Salaries
are
ususally posted with these positions. Good luck.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR NANCY WHITE
IN WA
There are MANY other jobs out in medicine and which can fit
your skills,
aptitudes and interests. As to popularity, that's an interesting
question.
Maybe others can chime in on that. Here are a few examples,
but there are MORE!
* Research - from basic research (often called "bench"
research) that seeks
to answer basic questions about how the body functions, to
applied work
that tests new procedures, medicines and approaches. Basic
research often
occurs in university settings and is done by people with MDs
and/or PhDs.
It requires a strong science background. Applied research
can happen in
medical schools or now more often in commercial companies
such as companies
that develop drugs and biomedical devices (like heart implants,
etc.) With
the rise of the application of genetics, there will be even
more basic and
applied research to see how fixing our genes can fix our health.
Gene
therapy is an example of this -- though it looks like the
practical
applications are still a ways away.
* Physician's Assistants and Nurse Practitioners - These are
two very
important medical positions. They require less education than
a full MD,
but play a critical role in our current health care system
in what is often
called "primary care" -- this is the day to day
health care most of us are
familiar with - pediatrics (serving kids), family practice,
women's health
and geriatrics. There are also PAs and NPs that specialize
in particular
types of medicine such as working with cancer patients or
in a medical
specialty. These latter positions are not quite as common.
* Genetic Counselors - This is a position that usually requires
a Masters
level degree (Sarah Lawrence Univ in NY is a school known
for this) and a
certification (done through a test.) Genetic counselors work
with doctors
to help people through the process of testing for and understanding
genetic
diseases. There are three main areas right now in genetic
counseling:
prenatal where the counselors work with pregnant women and
their partners
when their fetus has been diagnosed or is at risk for a genetic
disease;
cancer, particularly in the area of breast cancer where there
have been
advances linking breast cancer to one's genetic history, and
finally
general medicine where the counselor works with all range
of ages and
genetic conditions. Since we are starting to understand more
and more how
genetics impacts our health, this is a potentially growing
area.
* Lab Technicians - the people who perform and do the analysis
of
diagnostic medical testing -- ultrasound, Xray, blood, etc.
* Pharmacy related jobs - pharmacist, pharm assistants, etc.
* Medical Administration - there is a huge range of business
careers
related to medicine! From hospital admin, to insurance.
* Of course, I don't want to forget doctors and nurses (of
all types) but
I'm assuming you are more familiar with those.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR BARBARA
KONTOGIANNIS IN CO
You could design medical equipment (many types of engineers
do this,
like mechanical and electrical), be a biomedical engineer,
physical
therapist, pharmacist, there are a lot of careers in medicine
and related
fields. You could also be a research scientist (like a chemist
or
biologist) developing new medicines. All of these are reasonably
popular,
although some colleges may specialize in certain areas more
than others.
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